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WHAT DOES THE ICFE S REAL LY TEST IN ENGL
WHAT DOES THE ICFES REALLY TEST IN ENGLISH?
ENGLISH 2010
MR.MRTZ
ON THE BACK GROUNDThe ICFES exam is a standardized test similar to the American SAT. The test is administered prior to graduation in Colombian high schools. (Grade 11th). The test is thoroughly developed and published by the ICFES.
Although the ICFES provides several tests for different academic purposes, the ICFES test is nationally recognized as the most important test since it qualifies students according to their actual academic skills and therefore it can affect the possibilities that a student might have to be accepted in College.
The test was originally created in 1966 when the Colombian Association of Universities and the University Fund signed the Agreement number 65. This agreement was reached after a research made by the Colombian Government and members of Colombian Universities.
The test is an intensive one. It is split in two sessions, each one of four hours and thirty minutes. ICFES assigns the schools and schedules throughout the Colombian territory so most of the student body is able to reach nearby schools where to take the test. The organization and logistics related to the test is totally managed by ICFES and different contracts with companies that transport valuables as a way to make the test safely delivered to the students and preventing fraudulent results or illegal copying.
HOW THE ICFES ENGLISH EXAMINATION HAS SPAWNED CHANGES IN THE TESTING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE HISTORY
The ICFES examination in English is compulsory to all schools nationwide in pursue to align the National Bilingualism Project. As long as education evolves, the assessment systems do as well. The ICFES examination in English has been updated recently as it is presented in the following analysis.
ENGLISH EXAMINATION BY 1999
By this time the MEN has developed “Lineamientos Curriculares” and it was introduced the Bachman Lyle (1990) competency approach. In which the English examination pretended to assess both competencies: Language organization and Pragmatics of the language.
The first one is related not only to the domain of the formal structure of the language- the grammatical competency but also the knowledge of how the discourse is constructed- textual competency. The grammatical competency includes vocabulary, morphology, syntax, and the phonemic and grapheme elements of the language. In the textual competency, it is included cohesion and coherence.
The pragmatic competency deals with the functionality of the language. It is to say how the illocutionary competency and its use are applied according to the context per say sociolinguistic competency. The illocutionary competency lies beneath the following functional features:
The ability to express ideas and emotions (ideal functions) To get an action to be done (manipulative functions) To use the language to teach, learn and solve problems
(heuristic functions) To be creative (imaginative functions)
Based on the previous premises, the student would find questions that were related to one of the mentioned axis:
Grammatical Competency:
The student is able to make sentences adequately and contextualize and recognize vocabulary through graphics and drawings.
Textual Competency:
The student is able to interrelate ideas with cohesion and coherence in language discourse. Cohesion refers to the possible relations between prepositions, references, and conjunctions. Likewise coherence deals with the purpose of each proposition to make a text.
Textual Coherence The student is able to establish logical sequences when developing ideas to make a meaningful text.
ENGLISH EXAMINATION BY 2006
In the year 2006, new changes were incorporated to fulfill the language structure as follows: The examination is to test aspects related to communicative competence. This means that students are assessed on the knowledge and application of the language to interact meaningfully in different communicative situations. The examination in English assesses the following competencies:
to recognize grammar structures to organize and complete paragraphs to identify vocabulary to identify intentions and roles between different participants
in conversations to understand written texts
In order to assess these competencies, the English examination is organized in the following groups of questions or components:
Sentence construction (building up sentences) Graphic interpretation Paragraphs organization Communicative situations Reading comprehension
ENGLISH EXAMINATION AFTER 2006
During the year 2006 new basic standards of language competency in a foreign language were given by the MEN-Ministerio de Educacion Nacional. These standards were aligned with the CEF-Common European Framework. The MEN followed CEF and established the following language proficiency benchmarks:
Beginner A1
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.
Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
Basic A2
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
Pre-intermediate B1
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken.
Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.
Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
ENGLISH EXAMINATION FEATURES
The ICFES English Examination has 45 questions to be answered in one hour and it is organized in seven parts as follows:
Part 1The student finds five signs and needs to decide where he or she would see them. Each question has three options to answer marked ABC.
Part 2The student finds a list of eight words marked from A to H. Each question describes one of the eight words. The student should look for the relation between both: word and description. The ICFES includes a distracter in this section. There are more words than descriptions.
Part 3The student finds five short conversations. She or he needs to choose the correct answer to complete the dialogue. The choices are marked ABC.
Part 4The student finds a short text with eight blanks. She or he needs to fill in the blanks with the appropriate answer. The choices are marked ABC.
Part 5The student finds a text with seven questions. She or he needs to choose the correct answer. The choices are marked ABC.
Part 6The student finds a text with five questions. She or he needs to choose the correct answer. The choices are marked ABCD.
Part 7The student finds a text with ten blanks. She or he needs to choose the correct answer. The choices are marked ABCD.
As part of this analysis, it is going to be included the ICFES English examination that students took during the year 2010. This analysis will provide a clear and deep study of the correct answers in each part of the exam.
EJEMPLOS DE PREGUNTA
2010
prueba de
Inglés
Febrero 2010
PARTE 1
RESPONDA LAS PREGUNTAS 1 A 5 DE ACUERDO CON EL EJEMPLO.
¿Dónde puede ver estos avisos?
En las preguntas 1 – 5, marque A, B o C en su hoja de respuestas.
Ejemplo:
A. in a station
0. B. in a café
C. in a zoo
Respuesta:
0 A B C
A. in a shop
1. B. in a library
C. in a hotel
A. in a museum
2. B. in a hotelC. at a
market
A. in a classroom
3. B. in a museumC. in an
office
(1990), this type of questions
The graphic interpretation
component is used to assess
Try to identify the key words
PARTE 2 A. in a
school4. B. in a
hospitalC. in a department
store
A. in a theater
5. B. in an airport
C. in a station
(1990), this type of questions
The graphic interpretation
component is used to assess
Try to identify the key words
PARTE 2RESPONDA LAS PREGUNTAS 6 A 10 DE ACUERDO CON EL
EJEMPLO.Lea las descripciones de la columna de la izquierda (6 – 10) y las palabras de la columna de la derecha(A – H).
¿Cuál palabra (A – H) concuerda con la descripción de cada frase de la izquierda
(6 – 10)? En las preguntas 6 – 10, marque la letra correcta A – H en su hoja de
respuestas.
Ejemplo:
0. Most business people wear this at work.
Respuesta:
A.
glasses
6. You need these if you do not see very well.
7. Young people usually wear these informal trousers all the time.
8. People that study in the same place usually wear this.
9. People have this to tell the time.
10. Women usually wear this, but men don’t.
PARTE 3RESPONDA LAS PREGUNTAS 6 A 10 DE ACUERDO CON EL
EJEMPLO.B. jacket C. jeans D. skirt
E. sneakers
F. suit
G. uniform
H. watch
PARTE 3RESPONDA LAS PREGUNTAS 11 A 15 DE ACUERDO CON EL
EJEMPLO.
Complete las cinco conversaciones.
En las preguntas 11 – 15, marque A, B o C en su hoja de respuestas.
Ejemplo:
Respuesta:
11. Are you OK?
A. Yes, inside.B. Yes, please.C. Yes, I am.
12. Is your mother home? A. I don’t know.B. That’s fine.C. She’s a nurse.
13.
14.
Why don’t we go to the cinema?
I’ve got a pain.
A. We don’t.B. Sure, why not?C. It’s fine.
A. Where is it?B. Why is it?C. When is it?
15. How would you like your steak? A. It’s nice.B. Not really.C. Well cooked.
This type of questions assesses the ability to associate two parts of a conversation. It is important to infer where the conversations may take place and what the speaker´s intention is.
PARTE 4
RESPONDA LAS PREGUNTAS 16 A 23 DE ACUERDO CON EL SIGUIENTE TEXTO.
Lea el texto de la parte inferior y seleccione la palabra correcta para cada espacio. En las preguntas 16 – 23, marque A, B o C en su hoja de respuestas.
COFFEEMany people all over the world like (0) DRINKING coffee. In Britain, for example, people drink about 60 million cups of coffee (16) every day. In some countries, like Italy, people like (17) a small cup of strong coffee, usually without milk. In other countries, like the USA, people have coffee made (18) with a lot of milk and sugar.
Coffee first arrived (19) in Britain in the 17th century. Many coffee houses (20) opened then. But only rich men went to (21) these places to meet friends, talk and do business. Women did not go to coffee houses (22) because they were much too dangerous. Today, coffee is (23) cheaper than before and people drink it everywhere, at home, at work and in cafés.
Ejemplo:0. A. drink B. drinking C. drinks
Respuesta:
16. A. every B. all C. most
17. A. some B. the C. a
18. A. up B. with C. by
19. A. on B. in C. at
20. A. open B. opened C. opening
21. A. these B. this C. their
PARTE 522. A. that B. or C. because
23. A. cheapest B. cheap C. cheaper
PARTE 6
RESPONDA LAS PREGUNTAS 24 A 30 DE ACUERDO CON EL SIGUIENTE TEXTO.
Lea el artículo y luego responda las preguntas.
En las preguntas 24 – 30, marque A, B o C en su hoja de respuestas.
Same family – different lives
Vilma Williams lives in London. Her sister Paula lives in the USA and their cousin
Carol lives in Jamaica. Here they talk about their lives.
Vilma Paula Carol
I w a s si x when I came toEngland from Jamaica with my parents and Paula. Now I a m 2 9 and a nurse at a London hospital. I have two sons, but I’m not very happy in England. Jamaica still
feels like home and I’d like to go and live there. My mother went back to Jamaica five years ago.
I went to England when I w as th r ee . After I finished school, I studied medicine and worked as a doctor. Then I married Brad and moved to the USA. Now, I have my own clothes shop.
We had our first child six months ago, and I’m very happy in New York.
I’m 30 . I studied businessat college and I’ve had a few jobs, but at the moment I’m without work. I will have my first baby next month. I like the Jamaican people and my parents have a housein the next town, but I would like to live somewhere else and have a change.
Ejemplo:
0. Who are sisters? A. Vilma and CarolB. Carol and PaulaC. Vilma and Paula
Respuesta:
0 A B C
A. Vilma24. Who is living in England now? B. Paula
C. Carol
A. Vilma25. Who is the youngest? B. Paula
C. Carol
A. Vilma26. Who doesn’t have a job now? B. Paula
C. Carol
A. Vilma27. Who has the most children? B. Paula
C. Carol
A. Vilma28. Who lives near her mother? B. Paula
C. Carol
A. Vilma29. Who wants to live in Jamaica? B. Paula
C. Carol
A. Vilma30. Who is the happiest? B. Paula
C. Carol
PARTE 6
RESPONDA LAS PREGUNTAS 31 A 35 DE ACUERDO CON EL SIGUIENTE TEXTO.
Lea el artículo y luego responda las preguntas.
En las preguntas 31-35, marque la letra correcta A, B, C o D en su hoja de respuestas.
My Love of Traveling by Sam HarrisI grew up in Australia and was introduced to traveling at an early age. We moved around a lot because of my father’s work. My main hobby was radios - I repaired old sets and listened to various programs from around the world. I had a map of the world on my bedroom wall with pins on it and I wrote postcards to foreign radio stations. I was an only child and I didn’t have many friends; instead I tried to contact the outside world. We didn’t have a television, so what I learned came from the radio and from encyclopedias. By the age of 13, I could draw maps of countries from memory and name all the capital cities.
I didn’t actually leave Australia until I was twenty-five, when I went on a long trip through Asia. I arrived in Thailand thinking I was well prepared, but in fact, I knew little about its rich culture. Then I went to India, where my taste for adventure and different experiences grew. Every city there was different; there were cows on the streets, old cars, interesting food, and people everywhere.
I went from country to country without realizing how dangerous some of them were at that time. There was very little advice available. But now it’s different - you can learn so much from the internet and just about everywhere you go, you’ll find an internet café. It’s really changed the way people travel.
The things I now like most about a trip are eating and shopping. I also love sitting on trains and talking to different people. I’m sure I’ll never get bored with traveling, even though I’ve explored most countries in the world.
31. What is the writer trying to do in the text?
A. talk about the towns where he used to liveB. describe the people he met while traveling abroadC. compare the different countries he has been toD. explain how his interest in travel has developed
32. What can you learn about the writer from this text?
A. He had always wanted to work on the radio.B. Very little surprised him on his first visit to Asia. C. His early knowledge of the world came from the radio.D. He liked sharing his interest in geography with other people.
33. What do we learn about the writer’s life as a child?
A. He spent time fixing radios that were broken. B. His father was unemployed for long periods. C. His friends thought he was rather strange.D. He watched programs about people in other countries.
34. What does the writer say about traveling abroad?
A. There are many countries he would still like to visit.B. Information about other countries has become easier to find. C. The things he enjoys while traveling have not changed.D. Knowing something about maps is useful when traveling.
35. Which of the following statements would the writer make?
A. B.I find it hard to talk to people I meet on my travels because I hardly knew anyone when I was a child.
Areas with only a few people are the best places to visit since they are quiet and relaxing.
C. D.Learning about the world from books and the
radio was nothing like the real experience.
The world’s a smaller place now because of the internet, and so travel has become less exciting.
PARTE 7
RESPONDA LAS PREGUNTAS 36 A 45 DE ACUERDO CON EL SIGUIENTE TEXTO.
Lea el artículo y luego responda las preguntas.
En las preguntas 36-45, marque la letra correcta A, B, C o D en su hoja de respuestas.
Colombia’s Guadua
Bamboo has (0) most perfect structure that exists in nature. Guadua, a verytall strong (36) type of bamboo, has been of (37) great use. People have used guadua to build their homes as guadua is not expensive, it (38) grows easily, and is very solid.
Guadua has been planted (39) by Colombians in rural areas for building their homes, but Guadua is (40) so beautiful that it is being sent to other countries. It can be (41) used for windows, roofs, stairs, or creative arts. In a local newspaper article, a journalist writes, “the fibers inside guadua are long and strong. (42) Therefore , it deserves to be (43) called the plant of steel.”
As part of Colombian culture, (44) several songs have been written about this plant, one of (45) which says, “The guadua cries because it
has a heart.”
Ejemplo:
0. A. the B. a C. one D. some
Respuesta:
36. A. amount B. type C. group D. number
37. A. huge B. big C. large D. great
38. A. increases B. raises C. grows D. climbs
39. A. by B. with C. in D. for
40. A. just B. so C. too D. very
41. A. used B. created C. made D. spent
42. A. Instead B. Therefore C. Furthermore D. However
43. A. talked B. told C. said D. called
44. A. no B. all C. several D. every
45. A. whose B. which C. whom D. what
ANSWER KEY
QUESTION KEY COMPONENT26 C PART 527 A PART 528 C PART 529 A PART 530 B PART 531 D PART 632 C PART 633 A PART 634 B PART 635 C PART 636 B PART 737 D PART 738 C PART 739 A PART 740 B PART 741 A PART 742 B PART 743 D PART 744 C PART 745 B PART 7
QUESTION KEY COMPONENT1 B PART 12 C PART 13 A PART 14 C PART 15 C PART 16 A PART 27 C PART 28 G PART 29 H PART 2
10 D PART 211 C PART 312 A PART 313 B PART 314 A PART 315 C PART 316 A PART 417 C PART 418 B PART 419 B PART 420 B PART 421 A PART 422 C PART 423 C PART 424 A PART 525 B PART 5
CONCLUSIONS:
After reading and taking this test, it is concluded that the parts 1 through 7 do not really offer an accurate assessment that the CEF benchmarks stand for. The second language assessment approach that Bechman Lyle (1990) offered is more precise in the assessment of Textual, Pragmatics and Grammatical competencies.
The CEF benchmarks were created to assess ORAL SKILLS in the European Community. The ICFES in Colombia is using them to test GRAMMAR and TEXTUAL competencies.
A1, A2 and B1 levels can not be only measured by writing skills. It is necessary to assess oral skills.
This test is extracted from CAMBRIDGE placement test which means that American English is not assessed. Certain vocabulary and cultural expressions are only in the English (British) jargon.
Bilingual Programs and Bilingual Education Programs in bilingual schools are beyond the simplicity of the questions and assessment. Some Bilingual students may feel secure of the answers because they are too basic which generates confusion.
It is not only required to know certain ENGLISH (British) COLLOCATIONS to determine the level of students. Assessment deals with more features, lexical resources, grammar structures and cultural matters.
The test does not have any high level of complexity in terms of grammar usage and vocabulary.
Unfortunately, this type of test is what guarantees schools ranking in our country, and we need to be prepared for.
REFRENCES:
www.wikipedia.com
www.icfes.com
Bachman Lyle. Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing (1990) and Language Testing in Practice (1996)
